How Real Madrid attempted a football robbery — but were stopped by FC Barcelona | OneFootball

The Copa del Rey final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid was set up for high tension well before the first whistle.

In the lead-up to the match, Real Madrid intensified pressure on the match officials by repeated attacks through RMTV, targeting referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.

The matter escalated further when he broke down in tears during the pre-match press conference and VAR official Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes made statements criticising the RMTV videos.

Real Madrid ended up boycotting official pre-match events such as the press conference, official photo session and the open training as they pushed for a change of referees.

While the Merengues would later deny it, multiple sources reported that Real Madrid even considered walking away from the final altogether.

From off-pitch drama to on-field antics

The entire charade was seen as a tactic to put further pressure on the referees and intimidate them heading into the Copa del Rey final at Estadio de La Cartuja.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, Real Madrid did little to hide their plan to turn the final into a battle. From the start, the match was marred by aggressive fouls and controversial decisions.

Referee Ricardo De Burgos was in the spotlight even before the game began. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Lucas Vazquez set the tone with a dangerous tackle on Raphinha in the opening minutes, which went unpunished. Federico Valverde handled the ball inside the area soon after, but the referee ruled it accidental as it was a supporting hand and did not award a penalty.

Real Madrid’s physical approach escalated – Aurelien Tchouameni delivered a brutal scissor tackle on Dani Olmo, but got away with only a yellow card.

Then, Dani Ceballos grabbed Pau Cubarsi in the penalty box during a set-piece but went unpunished. Minutes later, he struck Lamine Yamal in the face but there was no action taken once again.

It seemed like Real Madrid’s pressure tactic on the referee was working. And Barcelona, who had been leading the game until the 70th minute, ended up conceding two in quick succession, putting them on the backfoot.

But the Catalans did not stop fighting and Ferran Torres equalised for his team, sparking more frustration for Real Madrid.

Indeed, in the 90th minute, Luka Modric went into a reckless tackle on Gavi, studs directly into the foot, which also resulted only in a yellow card.

In the final minutes, Antonio Rudiger felled Ferran Torres inside the box, bringing him down, but no penalty was given while the VAR did not review the incident either despite it being clear and obvious.

Moments later, a penalty awarded to Barça after Raul Asencio and Raphinha both fell was overturned following VAR review, with Raphinha bizarrely booked for simulation instead.

Not bogged down, Barcelona continued to fight and their efforts paid off in the second half of extra time as Jules Kounde struck home the match-winning goal.

The tension exploded after the game as Rudiger and Vazquez were sent off. The former had a serious confrontation with the officials and is staring at a lengthy 4-12 game ban for throwing objects at the referees out of frustration. Jude Bellingham was also shown a red card as tempers flared on the way to the dressing rooms.

Despite Real Madrid’s attempts – both before and during the match – to tilt the game in their favour, Barcelona remained composed and determined.

Hansi Flick’s men stopped Madrid’s bid for a football robbery not with noise or chaos, but with control on the pitch. The final whistle marked not just a title for Barça, but a firm stand against the pressure and intimidation tactics from Florentino Perez & co.